The acute housing crisis that has affected Europe since 2008 is characterised by a chronic shortage of supply, a generalised increase in housing costs and a continuous reduction in governmental financial support. As result, both the middle class and more vulnerable groups are experiencing a significant decline in living standards and increasing forms of housing exclusion.
The evident limitations of both the market and public authorities in responding effectively to this crisis have generated a range of social disruptions. Across Europe, there has been a resurgence of collective action, expressed through initiatives led by self-organised and self-managed communities, such as housing cooperatives, Community Land Trusts and collaborative housing projects.
The recent growth of such initiatives in France, Spain, Netherlands and Portugal has been largely driven by grassroots, bottom-up social movements. This paradigm shift is grounded in principles of social innovation and community-led development, defined by high levels of participation, solidarity, mutual aid, reciprocal relationships, and collective financing and management.
These co-production processes require broad collaboration, involving the residents, institutional and individual stakeholders, that are capable of contributing knowledge, resources and expertise for the project.
The participatory workshops played a key role in strengthening working relationships, enabling a dynamic interaction between the design team and the working groups, and fostering continuous information exchange regarding the community’s housing needs. This “human geometry” created favourable conditions for the development of the collaborative housing project, encouraging participation, debate, social interaction and the generation of new opportunities.
For these reasons, the process was meticulously revisited, where it prevailed concepts like, dwelling and deinstitutionalization in later life, establishing a participatory approach centered around longevity and community-based structures that promote resilience and an active society capable of producing knowledge and economic value.
1 / 4Presentation of the preliminary proposal
The project site features a typical rural quadrilateral, bordered by agricultural paths to the north and west and adjacent to a public road on the east. These paths run perpendicular to each other and are trimmed by the Agricultural Colony to the south.
A watercourse flows north to south through the land. Surrounding parcels of similar size are cultivated with various crops, including pastureland, vineyards, and large greenhouses. Eucalyptus plantations are found to the north, while the south features rain-fed and irrigated crops.
Since it is a low-rise building, the priority is to avoid excessive land reshaping, thereby preserving the natural morphology. The building was positioned on the flattest area of the site, which offers the best solar exposure, the lowest tree density and direct access to the public road.
Regarding the landscaped areas, the design establishes a sense of privacy in relation to certain parts of the building, specially the residential areas and the access galleries to the dwellings.
Inside the building, the space was organized into three interconnected thematic sections:
1. Housing – 46 adaptable and flexible residential typologies designed to respond to residents’ needs throughout their life cycle, including 7 guest rooms.
2. Common Social Spaces – a community kitchen and a dining hall, spaces for leisure and recreational activities, a carpentry workshop room, gymnasium, allotment gardens and a community garden;
3. Hydrotherapy and Physiotherapy Center – managed by a healthcare provider offering services to residents, the parish, and the municipality. The cooperative has established agreements with several entities to ensure the provision of these services.
1 / 2Hydrotherapy and Physiotherapy Center Spaces on Ground Floor
Within the central core, the accommodation of the Collaborative Housing and the Hydrotherapy and Physiotherapy Center are separated through interior circulation and the main accesses to the building.
In the Collaborative Housing, beside the areas designated for leisure activities, the main common social space is the dining hall, which incorporates the kitchen and other technical spaces.
The Hydrotherapy and Physiotherapy center provides areas related to wellness, such as, the gymnasium and a hydrotherapy pool, rooms for occupational activities, and a nursing center.
1 / 2Center Core - Ground Floor Plan
1 / 4Diagram of the various programs for the dining hall
Evolution and Typological Variation
The proposed typologies comprise into three types: a studio, one-bedroom, and two-bedroom units.
Their dimensional criteria and spatial organization were conceived according to principles of flexibility, enabling the reconfiguration of the units in response to the specific needs of their occupants. The structural system is designed to accommodate transformation over time, with interior compartments that allow for standardization and repetition. This strategy avoids rigid spatial hierarchies and fosters a more adaptable and resilient approach to residential use.
1 / 4Units flexibility - One-bedroom unit
A prefabricated concrete system was conceived to ensure that all housing units are constructed and implemented efficiently with high quality standard. The central core of the building will be structured in reinforced concrete, cast in situ. These structural typologies are interconnected through the stairs core, which provides the necessary rigidity to the overall structural system.
All residential typologies benefit from the presence of exterior galleries. These hybrid circulation spaces simultaneously perform multiple functions, serving as access routes to the dwellings, supporting community life, and fostering social interaction.
Montijo, Portugal | Cooperative | Ongoing | Cooperative Housing and Services | 14.870m2 | Renders by Start Studio | Photography by Bárbara Monteiro